ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pound — a weight
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. squash — to crush
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — happening now
  16. pop — to visit
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. hand — help
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pop — music
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com